Collapsible chair for invalids



Oct. 18, W38. F. H. JACOBS COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR FOR INVALIDS Filed July 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Shee t 1 INVENT R. JAM MM BY ATTORNEY Patented a. 18, 1938 2,133,540

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR FOR INVALIDS- Fred H. Jacobs, Upland, Calif.

Application July 5, 1935, Serial No. 29,964

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-30) My invention relates to and has for an object Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section on line 8-8 of the provision of a durable, simple and eflicient Fig. and wheel chair for use by invalids and adapted to Fig. 9 is aperspective view typical of the pantobe laterally collapsed at will so as to occupy a graph members. 5 minimum amount of space when not in use. Briefly described, my improved chair includes 5 A further object is to provide a collapsible a frame embodying front legs or standards I, chair having large traction wheels at the front I, rear legs or standards 2, 2, a fabric seat 3, a and a pair of independently adjustable pilot removable back 4, front traction wheels 5, 5, wheels at the rear of the chair forming a running and pilot wheels 6, 6, arranged substantially as 10 gear so arranged as to place the center of gravity shown in the drawings. At each side of the chair 1'0 far enough toward the rear as to permit an the front and rear legs or standards are conoccupant of the chair to bend forward in order nected by and support an arm rest 1, and the to pick articles from the floor without upsetting rear legs or standards 2 have slightly inclined the chair. extensions 8 secured to the upper portions there- Another object is to provide a footboard disof and adapted to removably support the back 1! posed high enough above the floor and with its 4. Preferably the back 4 is formed of stiff mafront edge within the peripheries of the tracterial such as wood or metal and has a pair of tion wheels so as to prevent contact of the staples 9, 9, attached thereto adapted to slide footboard with curbs and obstacles on a sideoverthe upper portions of the extensions 8 for walk or pavement and thereby enable an occuholding the back in position and also serving 20 pant to mount the curbs and run over obstructo hold the sides of the chair in extended positions with facility and ease. tions for use.

A still further object is to provide a hinged The front legs or standards I, I, are extended footbcard and means readily operable from a downwardly belowthe lower ends of the rear 5 point at or near one of the side arms of the chair legs or standards 2, 2, so' as to collapsibly sup- 5 for collapsing the footboard when the chair is port a footboard [0 at a point substantially above vacant and it is desired to collapse the same. the floor or ground and with its front edge with- My invention also comprehends certain imin the peripheries of the traction wheels 5, 5. proved details of structure which will provide Said footboard is formed of a pair of similar a maximum of rigidity, freedom from excessive sections hinged together at points intermediate 30 wear, extreme comfort, and by the provision of the sides of the chair and at their adjacent ends a removable back and the disposition of the and additionally hinged at 'H to' arms l2 exseat at an elevation at or about the level of a tended forwardly from cast metal members l3 bed to provide means whereby an invalid may so that the two sections of the footboard may be easily moved upon the chair from a bed, or fold upwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, when the chair 35 vice versa, or may recline partially on a bed and frame is collapsed and the sides are moved in partially on the chair seat. Other objects may the direction of each other. appear as the description progresses. The members 13 are provided at the front In the accompanying drawings I have shown corners of the chair with portions l4 which are 49 a preferred form of chair, subject to modificasuitably attached to the legs or standards I, and tion, within the scope of the appended claims, rear portions l5 which are attached to the rear without departing from the spirit of my invenlegs or'standards 2, as shown in Fig. 2. Memtion. bers 13 on each side of the chair are' formed with In Said a n r horizontal rails I! which together with portions 5 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved l4 and I5 form rigid frame members on the Chair eXtended 1156; sides. The front and rear legs or standards Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; on each side of the frame are further crosscon- Fig. 3 is a p p V w; neoted by means of transverse rails 18, the rear Fig. 4 is a front elevation with the chair latends of which are attached to portions [9' of 50 erally collapsed, as when the same is not in use; members 13, while the front ends thereof are 50 Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the chair on attached to arms 20 of fixtures 2'l secured to the line of front legs or standards.

6 is a Sectional P On line 6- 0f Fig. The traction wheels 5, 5, are rotatably mounted Fi 7 is a f n ary section on line 1-1 of on the fixtures 2|, 2|, on axles 22, 22, which ex- 5; tend outwardly from the fixtures. The pilot wheels 6, 6, are rotatably mounted on vertical axes on rear extensions 23, 23, formed on the members l3, l3, by means of yokes 24, 24, which have trunnions 25, 25, held in bearings 26, 26, in the members I3, I 3. It will thus be noted that each side of the chair is an independent rigid unit including a traction wheel 5 and a pilot wheel 6 having their peripheries tangent to a common horizontal plane with respect to the seat 3. The axis of the wheels 6 is forwardly of the seat while the axis of the pilot wheels is substantially rearwardly of the seat, thereby providing a center of gravity at a point near the transverse plane of the rear standards 2 so as to prevent thetipping of the chair forwardly when an occupant bends forwardly as when picking articles from the floor.

Opposite side frames of the chair are cross connected and braced by means of a pair of pantograph members 21 and 28 of rectangular skeleton form having upright stiles 29, 29, and 3D, 30, respectively, which .are pivotally connected at intermediate points 3|, 3|, lower transverse rails 32 and upper transverse rails 33. The lower ends of the upright stiles 29 and 30 in each case are pivotally attached to lugs 34, 34, etc. formed on or rigidly attached to the cast metal fixtures l3, while the upper rails 33 are slidable on the front and rear legs I and 2 as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. It will be noted that the upper rails 33 have trunnions 35, 35, at opposite ends thereof which are vertically slidable in grooves 36, 36, formed in metal channelled members 31, 31, attached to adjacent sides of the front and rear legs I and 2 of each side frame, so that when the sides of the chair are moved inwardly the upper ends of the braces 21 and 28 may slide upwardly on the legs.

Seat 3 is formed of canvas preferably and has its opposite ends attached to the upper rails 33, 33, of the members 21 and 28, as shownin Fig. 8, the outer face of the rail 33 being grooved to seat a cleat 38, in each case, and the ends of the fabric being clamped in the groove under the cleats and held by means of rivets or bolts 39. Thus as the chair is'laterally collapsed the fabric seat 3 will fold inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, and when extended the fabric will be held taut when the footboard l0 and the back 4 are positioned as shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the lower ends of the stiles 29 and 30 of members 21 and 28 are slightly offset outwardly so as to permit the complete folding of said members into a common plane when the chair is collapsed, member 21 being nested within the member'28.

' The traction wheels 5 are of suflicient diameter that the peripheries will be disposed adjacent the arms 1 of the chair convenient to an occupant for propelling the chair by turning the wheels 5 by hand and the pilot wheels 6 are of sufficient diameter to readily surmount obstacles in their path and to facilitate the mounting of curbs and the like. The'wheels 5 and 6 are provided with ball bearing journals as are also the yoke pins 25 of'the pilot wheels.

It will be apparent that when the back 4 is positioned on t'he'rear legs, as shown in Fig. 1 andthe footboard I0 is depressed into extended position, the sides of the chair will be held spaced normally apart for use while the seat 3 is held taut. A chain or cord 40 is attached at its lower end to the rear edge of the footboard Ill at a point opposite the central hinge and has its upper end held on one of the legs of the chair so that when said chair is to be collapsed, the back 4 is first removed and the footboard joint is broken by pulling upwardly on the chain or cord 40.

When the chair is laterally collapsed the sides are moved inwardly in the direction of each other until the legs of each side are almost if not quite in abutting positions, thereby requiring a minimum of space for the collapsed chair. This latter feature is important, particularly in hospitals and sanitariums where a large number of invalid chairs are maintained and renders it possible to store a great many chairs in a closet or in corridors against the walls without occupying too much space.

Footboard l0 may be folded upwardly on a horizontal axis as a unit by means of trunnions 4|, 4|, formed on the members 42, 42, which hold the hinge pintles II, II, as shown in Fig. 6, said trunnions being held in the arms I2, l2. When the footboard is depressed it-rests against stops 43, 43, on the arms I 2, I2. Thus, the footboard may be folded as shown in Fig. 4 and additionally folded inwardly as seen from the front in said figure on the trunnions so as to rest inwardly of the front legs I, I.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A collapsible chair for invalids comprising a pair of side frames, each having a front leg and a back leg, rigid metal members mounted on said frames and comprising horizontal portions disposed between said legs, upright extensions on said horizontal portions for securing said member to the front and back legs of said frames, foot board supporting portions extending downwardly and then horizontally forward from said members, wheel supporting portions extending rearwardly and horizontally from points intermediate the upper and lower ends of certain of said upright extensions, a foldable footboard carried by said footboard supporting portions, traction wheels mounted on said front legs, wheels carried by said wheel supporting portions and foldable cross sections between said frames.

2. A collapsible chair for invalids comprising a pair of side frames, each having a front leg and a back leg, rigid metal members on said frames having horizontal portions between said legs, upright extensions on said members to which the front legs are secured, similar extensions on said member to which the rear legs are secured, footboard supporting portions extending downwardly and then forwardly from said horizontal portions, a foldable footboard carried by said last-named portions, a pilot wheel supporting portion extending rearwardly from a point intermediate the upper and lower ends of said lastnamed upright portions, traction wheels mounted on said front legs, connecting means between said side frames permitting the collapse and extension of said frames, means for holding said frames extended for use, said connecting means including a pair of skeleton frames pivotally connected at points intermediate their extremities and pivotally secured to the horizontal portions of said rigid side members at their lower extremities and slidably secured to said side frames at their upper extremities, and vertically disposed guides carried by said side frames and adapted to be engaged by the upper extremities of said skeleton frames.

FRED H. JACOBS. 

